Instagram for iPad may finally be happening, with a native app reportedly in active testing

After years of user requests and community speculation, Meta is finally said to be working on a native Instagram app for the iPad. The new development, revealed by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in the Q&A section of his weekly Power On newsletter, suggests the app is currently in active testing at Meta’s campus and could see a public release later this year, if all goes to plan.

This is an interesting move

While Instagram has technically been available on iPad through the App Store, users have long had to rely on the scaled-up iPhone version. That experience has often been called out for its lack of optimisation, with content squeezed into the centre of the screen and many UI elements feeling out of place on a larger display. Gurman notes that concerns around image quality and layout were among the reasons Meta previously held back from building a dedicated version.

Now, however, that may be changing. With the technology finally catching up and iPads playing a more central role in content consumption and creation, Meta appears to be rethinking its approach. The native app will be designed specifically for the iPad’s larger screen and is expected to deliver a more seamless, tablet-first experience, nearly 15 years after Instagram’s original debut.

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The move comes shortly after the long-awaited launch of WhatsApp for iPad, indicating a broader shift within Meta toward supporting large-screen devices. It’s also believed that external factors, such as the potential ban of TikTok in the U.S. and tariff-related disruptions, may be driving a renewed focus on boosting platform engagement across multiple devices.

For now, testing remains internal. But if all goes smoothly, iPad users could soon get the Instagram experience they’ve been asking for, finally built for the screen they’re using.